INSIDE THE NBA

Clouds roll in for Boston

Injuries cause No. 1 seed to just drift away

March 16, 2009|BY MARK HEISLER

The sky isn't falling in Boston, but with Kevin Garnett's return pushed back and the Cavaliers 3 1/2 games ahead, it's thinking about it.

The Celtics say they'd rather be healthy than seeded No. 1. Actually, they'd rather be healthy and seeded No. 1 to miss Orlando, which is 4-2 against them over two seasons, in the second round. Also, they may have won in Detroit and Los Angeles last spring, but they're 0-6 in Cleveland the last two seasons.

In Miami, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he hoped to limit his stars' minutes, "even in a time of crisis."

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen each wound up playing 40 and they lost, anyway.

As Artest noted -- before talking trash to Kobe Bryant, who went on to outscore him 37-11 -- Bryant isn't one.

"He's one of the only big names that doesn't back down," said Artest, now of the Rockets. "I cause a lot of players to back down. He's one of the only guys, even if he's playing bad, he'll still shoot it. That's why I respect him."

Not-so-Golden State: Warriors coach Don Nelson now acknowledges that he advised Jamal Crawford to opt out, despite the two years at $19.5 million left on his deal.

Meanwhile, the rift widened with Monta Ellis, who recently went home to rest his sore ankle.

Wary of an attempt to void his contract after his moped crash, Ellis said he went to see his mother, who was sick.

Said Nelson: "Monta complained three different times that he had soreness in his ankle. ... He was supposed to see a doctor and come back. Then he went to visit his mother."

Wright packed three suitcases -- one just for shoes -- and brought several suits -- each with its own shirt, tie, belt and shoes -- appropriate to the destination ("In L.A. I like to wear something flashier"), and 14 pairs of sunglasses. Fortunately, it was a short trip.

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Mark Heisler covers the NBA for the Los Angeles Times, a Tribune newspaper.